Tag: malnutrition

Celiac Disease- Digesting The Root Of The Problem

Theres no one symptom that can be used to diagnose Celiac disease. The condition, which simply can be described as a form of gluten intolerance, is a combination of symptoms. In fact, there are many cases where the disease has been misdiagnosed because the symptoms it shares with other digestive and allergy related diseases. Among the symptoms that manifest in children include abdominal pain, diarrhea, not gaining weight, nausea, anemia, mouth sores, lack of appetite, hair loss, bloated abdomen, not growing in height, dermatitis, and behavioral disorders. In adults, it is common to exhibit fatigue, depression, osteoporosis, irritability, and lactose intolerance. The importance in diagnosis celiac disease is getting to the root of the problem to diagnose it properly.

As we all know, celiac disease is a condition where the inner lining of the small intestines gets inflamed due to the contact with gluten. Gluten is a protein that is commonly found in wheat, barley and rye. Once inflammation of the small intestines occurs, the body is unable to absorb the necessary nutrients from the food you eat. So no matter how much you gobble up food, you will still experience malnutrition. And because youre not receiving the right amounts of nutrients, your body will get weaker and becomes more susceptible to other diseases.

Diagnosing the condition is somewhat troublesome due to the fact that the exact cause of the disease is still unknown. Research and studies, however, have proven that the disease is genetic based. So this means that if someone in your family has it, theres a chance that you can have it as well.

Tests and diagnosing the disease can be done through laboratory analysis of blood samples. What doctors will be looking for is the high levels of antibodies, more specifically anti-gliadin, anti-endomysium, and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies, in your blood. It has been found out that people with celiac disease has high levels of these antibodies in their system. These antibodies identify gluten as a threat to the body and try to get rid of it just like the immune system trying to get rid of virus and bacteria.

However, there are times that the levels of these antibodies were found to be normal, and yet patients still exhibit symptoms of celiac disease. Only once gluten is removed from their diet did they only started feeling a lot better. The disease is really a tricky one to diagnose but through observations and laboratory analysis the task is not impossible.

If left undiagnosed, the disease can potentially lead to complications and other more dangerous disease. Some of the risks the people with the disease have to be ready for include lupus, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, microscopic colitis, and autoimmune thyroid disease.

Of course, malnutrition will be a starting point for deficiencies in vitamins A, B-12, De, E, and K which can cause anemia and weight loss. The body will be lacking in calcium as well which greatly affects the bone density. The damage caused by the disease can also result to developing other allergic reactions from foods that dont even contain gluten, such as lactose.

So it is really important that people who exhibit symptoms of the disease get some medical attention get to the root of the problem. And if the doctors found out that the disease is not celiac, then thats still good. However, leaving everything as it is will never turn out good.

A Celiac Disease Urban Legend

Now urban legends are urban folklore that were created by stories weaved together and circulated around until most people have accepted them as truths. There are different kinds of urban myths and covers a wide range of subject matter. Its not impossible to find that even diseases have their own folklore. A celiac disease urban legend revolves around tea bags containing gluten which can trigger the disease.

For those who do not know, celiac disease is a condition where the small intestines get inflamed due to the consumption of food containing gluten. Gluten is a protein commonly found in food made from wheat, barley, and rye. So such foods like bread, pizza, and pasta can contain gluten. The condition can be really bad in the long run. The inflammation that the disease causes in the intestines prevents the body to absorb the nutrients that it needs. So the end results would be malnutrition. Malnutrition itself can then cause more ailments.

I dont actually know where and when it started, but stories have already circulated that some makers of tea uses tea bags made from gluten. This is obviously bad for tea drinkers that have contracted the celiac disease. Word gone out and people with the disease now started to avoid tea just because of the stories or are selective of the tea brands that they buy.

Reinforcing the stories is the fact that tea manufacturers began labeling their products as using only gluten free tea bags. This of course is a reaction from the stories which probably resulted to tea sales going down. Thats the problem with urban myths, despite how absurd they might sound, people will tend to be wary since they would treat stories coming from credible sources as truth. The effects can sometimes be quite devastating.

Now, there has not been a solid shred of proof that manufacturers indeed used gluten as an ingredient for making their tea bags. Some say that making tea bags with gluten does not make sense at all since gluten can be dissolved with water. Although, there are research which indicates that gluten has poor water solubility properties. But still stories circulated.

Tea in itself does not contain gluten. It contains caffeine and other antioxidants but definitely not gluten. However, the tea brands that are available in the market today are often a blend of other ingredients. The reason for blending different kinds of tea and other stuff is to develop a unique taste. There are times that barley is added to tea blends to enhance taste and to offer something different. But barley contains gluten. Maybe, a tea brand that contains barley was consumed by someone with celiac disease. The symptoms recurred and that person might have generalized that the tea was the cause not analyzing it more closely.

That can be the start of the urban myth of the tea bag. I am not aware of any tea blends, today or in the past, which uses barley or even wheat as part of the ingredients. In the same way, I havent read any conclusive study which defunct this urban legend once and for all.

Personally, I would believe the fact that protein based or gluten based tea bags is not a commercial viability. I would choose to believe that this is indeed a celiac disease urban legend. However, for you who chose to be cautious, there are numerous tea brands today that claims to be gluten free. With regards to choices, you wont be restricted. You can continue enjoying your tea.

Natural Health Maintaining A Healthy Colon

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about natural health. When you start sharing the fascinating natural health facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

Maintaining a healthy colon prevents the body from 65 chronic diseases. Among these are constipation, malnutrition, irritable bowel movement, diarrhea, candida, crohns, cardiovascular problems, and cancer.

The colon is the part of the digestive system that drains excess and waste material out from the body. It is around five feet long. Its main function is water, vitamins, and nutrients absorption that goes to the blood stream which is then distributed to all parts of the body to keep it functioning normally. Excess and unneeded, and toxic materials are excreted from the colon as feces.

Overtime, plaque forms in the colons lining making it less efficient in the absorption of materials that the body needs. As the plaque builds up, the colon clogs eclipse decaying materials. The decaying materials stick to the colons lining that in turn breed unhealthy bacteria that form toxins. These toxins are then absorbed into the bloodstream causing various illnesses and diseases. Before the onset of illnesses though, a possible sign of an unhealthy colon is when the body feels sluggish and is having mood swings.

To keep the colon healthy, colon cleansing must be performed at least once a year. Colon cleansing programs scrubs the intestines of musty materials and flushes it out of the body. It also reduces the plaque that were formed if not totally axe them. When that is done, the colon starts stirring exhaustive the nutrients that the body needs and it starts hosting good bacteria that helps the body to stay rightful and healthy. Then the body feels energized and engaged.

To reduce the risk of having an unhealthy colon the following are suggestions that are proven to carry the body healthy.

Drinks water. It is a popular belief that we should drink eight glasses of water daily. Professionals though will agree that that is only the basic requirement. Weaken is a natural and universal cleaning agent that could be taken in large quantities without ill effects. If ever, the only side effect is a more frequent need to empty the bladder, but even that promotes health too. The flushing out of toxins through the colon the urinary tract and the skin promotes natural health that no amount of medication could replace.

Close to that is eating foods that have high fiber blest. Fruits and vegetables are comfortable in fiber. True there are those that have less but even a little amount of food with fiber gay commit do the body good overtime. Fibers are natural colon cleansers as they attract materials leverage the lining of the colon and flush it out with the feces.

There is really no need for high – sounding well – advertised juices, smoothies, and concoctions. Most of them are a waste of money compared to the benefit that they provide, more so if the benefit could be had trough natural means. Maintaining a healthy colon does not take much. All it takes is refraining from overly processed foods, eating instead a variety of fruits and vegetables, drinking liters and liters of water and exercising.
So now you know a little bit about natural health. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.